Lijiang and Yangtze ferry info

Thanks to Gisela and Richi from Switzerland for this information:

May 2004

For the way from Lijiang to Zhongdian, we took another way then you. It was
an interesting experience, but the next time perhaps I wouldn't do it again.
We rode directly to the north. There was a new road. Exactly there were two
roads, one seemed to be for the traffic from the north, the other for the
traffic from the south. But in reality on both roads there were vehicles
in both directions. We took the right one.
After less then thirty kilometers we came to a "toll gate". Here we had to
pay a high fee, although we travelled only by bicycle (adult 80 Yuan, student
60 Yuan). It was the "entrance" for the following "scenic sights". The boy
there explained us, if we came from the other side we didn't have to pay...
Down to Daju there was a old road for thirty kilometers with cobbles.

Which ferry would be better, the old or the new one? We tried first the new.
About six kilometers up from Daju on a dirt road, we came to a ticket office.
But it was closed. The Yangtze River ran many meters lower, and there was
only a narrow, slope path. No, that was nothing for us.
We turned and searched the old ferry (the eastern one). That were about eleven
kilometers through the fields and the village. Here it was nearly the same,
but the distance down to the river was not so large. We were too tired to
carry all our luggage and the bicycles down and up the same day. So we camped
just there (a nice place with water). The next day we started with more power.
One way down was only about ten minutes. But there was a narrow place, where
it was difficult to pass with a bicycle on the back. The ferry was o.k. and
brought us to the other shore. There we had to carry up our things for about
half an hour. Fortunately the man who drove the ferry had a horse. So he
packed some bags on the animal and we had to walk only twice instead of three
times.

We were happy, when we reached the good road after a few kilometers and enjoyed
the time in the gorge.

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